Ending the undemocratic practice of prison-based gerrymandering is, technically, a two-part process. When redistricting happens, first, people in prison must be removed from the Census population data because the Census counts them as residents of the district in which they are incarcerated. Second, people in prison must be added back to their home districts.
Earlier this week, the US Census Bureau announced they will move up the release of local prison population data to May 2011, making it possible for states that hold their redistricting process in the year after the Census is taken to remove prison populations from district counts.
As the New York Times editorialized this morning, this is a critical step in the right direction toward ending prison-based gerrymandering.
The bills currently before the New York State Legislature (S6725/A9834) that I wrote about
last week would take the second step - adding people in prison back into the population of their home communities.
The legislation would require the Legislative Task Force on Demographic Research and Reapportionment to amend Census data with data provided by the Department of Correctional Services about the last home of people in prison, to make sure all communities in New York are represented fairly and equally in the legislature - as our State constitution intended.
While the Census Bureau is too far along in the process to change how people in prison are counted for this year's count, this action marks a growing national movement toward ending the age-old injustice, and, until the next Census, puts the ball in the courts of states and counties to fix the problem.
So, New York State Legislature: will you step up to the plate?